To write a bid, read the full tender pack, confirm you meet every mandatory requirement, and plan each answer against the question's sub-points and weighting. Write specific commitments backed by evidence, keep inside the word limits, then review against the buyer's scoring scale and submit early.
What every UK bid writer needs to know
Procurement Act 2023
In force
Sets the rules for most new UK public tenders.
GOV.UKAward test
Most advantageous tender
Quality, price and social value against published criteria.
Procurement Act 2023PPN 002
10% min social value
In-scope central government contracts.
GOV.UKPPN 017
AI disclosure
Buyers may ask how AI was used in a bid.
GOV.UKWhat is a bid?¶
A bid is your formal offer to supply goods, services or works to a buyer, submitted in response to a tender or request for proposal. In UK public procurement it usually has three parts: documents proving you are eligible (conditions of participation or a selection questionnaire), written quality answers to scored questions, and a completed pricing schedule. Private-sector bids often follow a similar pattern with less formality. Learning how to write a bid is really learning how to answer those scored quality questions well, and not tripping over the compliance steps around them.
| Part | What it contains | How it is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier information | Company details, ownership, finances, exclusion declarations, often via the Central Digital Platform | Pass/fail |
| Conditions of participation | Turnover, insurance, experience, accreditations | Pass/fail or minimum score |
| Quality (technical) answers | Method, resources, quality, mobilisation, risk | Scored against weighted criteria |
| Social value | Measurable commitments tied to the buyer's outcomes | Scored, often at least 10% in central government |
| Pricing schedule | Rates, totals, assumptions as instructed | Scored, usually relative to the lowest price |
| Declarations and forms | Signed forms of tender, conflicts of interest, AI use if asked | Compliance check |
The typical parts of a UK public-sector bid.
Before you write: plan the bid¶
Frankly, most weak bids are planning failures, not writing failures. The writer started drafting on day one, ran out of time, and submitted without a review. Spend the first day or two of any bid on planning and you will write faster and score higher.
- Read every document in the pack: instructions, specification, questions, pricing schedule, draft contract and appendices.
- Highlight every 'must', 'shall' and 'will' in the specification. These are requirements you will need to address.
- List mandatory requirements and check you meet each one before committing resources.
- Build a compliance matrix with each question, weighting, word limit, sub-points, evidence and owner.
- Set internal deadlines: first drafts, review, pricing sign-off, final compliance check, upload.
- Note the clarification deadline and send questions early if anything is unclear.
Bid writing guide: how to write each answer¶
How to write a bid answer in seven steps
Step 1
Decode the question
Split it into sub-points. A question asking you to 'describe your approach to X, including Y and Z' has at least three parts to answer.
Step 2
Check the specification and scoring
Find the parts of the specification the question relates to and read what a top score requires.
Step 3
Choose your evidence
Pick the case study, data, accreditation or process that proves each point.
Step 4
Outline with headings
Use the buyer's sub-points as headings, in the same order, so evaluators can find each one.
Step 5
Draft as commitments
Write 'we will' with who, what, when and how measured for each point.
Step 6
Weave in win themes
Show how your two or three differentiators apply to this question.
Step 7
Edit hard
Remove adjectives and background, keep evidence, and meet the word limit exactly.
A useful test for every sentence is 'so what, and prove it'. If a sentence doesn't tell the evaluator something they can score, cut it. If it makes a claim, the proof should be in the same paragraph. 'Our team is highly experienced' fails both tests. 'Your account will be led by a manager with eight years on similar council contracts, supported by two supervisors trained to NVQ Level 3' passes.
A simple structure that works for most questions¶
| Section | Purpose | Roughly how much of the word count |
|---|---|---|
| Opening summary | One or two sentences that answer the question directly and state your key commitment | 5-10% |
| Sub-point sections | One section per part of the question, each with method, people, timing and measurement | 65-75% |
| Evidence | Case study, data or accreditation that proves you have done this before | 10-15% |
| Risk and assurance | What could go wrong and how you will prevent or fix it | 5-10% |
| Added value (optional) | Something useful beyond the specification, at no extra cost | Up to 5% |
Weak vs strong: a worked example¶
Describe the resources you will allocate to this contract and how you will ensure continuity of service during staff absence.
The contract will be delivered by a team of five: a named Account Director (0.2 FTE), a Contract Manager (1.0 FTE, eight years on public-sector contracts) and three consultants (3.0 FTE), all holding the qualifications in section 4 of the specification. Continuity is protected in three ways. First, each consultant is paired with a trained deputy who shadows their work monthly. Second, planned leave is agreed four weeks in advance and covered from our bench of four additional consultants. Third, unplanned absence is covered within one working day, with the Contract Manager confirming cover to you by 10am. Over the past two years we have maintained 100% service continuity across our three largest public contracts.
Why it scores
- Numbers, roles and FTE given
- Qualifications linked to the specification
- Specific cover mechanisms and timescales
- Evidence of past performance
Illustrative example on a 0 to 5 scale. Replace figures with your own verified data.
How to develop win themes¶
Win themes are the two or three reasons the buyer should choose you, stated as benefits to them and proved with evidence. They stop a bid reading like ten separate answers written by ten different people. Find them by asking what the buyer is worried about (read the specification, any market engagement material and the contract's history) and where you are genuinely stronger than likely competitors.
| Feature you have | Weak theme | Strong win theme |
|---|---|---|
| Depot 5 miles from the main site | We are local | Two-hour emergency response to every site, from our depot in the borough |
| Low staff turnover | Our people stay with us | The same named team for the life of the contract, with turnover under our 12-month average |
| Similar contract delivered | We have relevant experience | A proven mobilisation plan used on a comparable 20-site contract last year |
Once chosen, show each theme where it fits naturally: in the mobilisation answer, the resourcing answer, the quality answer and the social value answer. Don't paste the same paragraph into every response. Evaluators score each answer separately, so the theme needs to earn marks in the context of each question.
Writing the eligibility sections¶
The pass/fail parts of a bid rarely win it, but they often lose it. Under the Procurement Act 2023, much of your core supplier information is held on the Central Digital Platform, so keep it current and consistent with what you say in the bid. For conditions of participation, answer precisely: if the buyer asks for three contracts of at least £200,000 a year in the last three years, give three that meet every part of that test, with values, dates and contact details. For exclusion grounds, declare honestly and explain any steps you have taken to prevent recurrence.
How bid writing differs by sector¶
- Construction: method statements, programme, health and safety (CDM 2015), quality plans and often a Building Information Modelling approach.
- Health and social care: safeguarding, CQC ratings, workforce training and person-centred outcomes.
- Facilities management: staffing levels, TUPE, specifications for frequencies and standards, and site-by-site mobilisation.
- IT and digital: security, data protection, Cyber Essentials, service levels and exit planning.
- Professional services: named people, CVs, methodology and quality assurance of advice.
Writing style that evaluators reward¶
- Use the buyer's language: if the specification says 'service users', don't write 'customers'.
- Write in the active voice: 'our supervisor inspects every site weekly', not 'sites are inspected'.
- Prefer short sentences and paragraphs. Evaluators often read on screen and against the clock.
- Use headings, bullet points and tables where the format allows, to make each requirement easy to find.
- Refer to the buyer by name and to its sites, services and priorities, so the answer could only belong to this bid.
- Avoid unexplained acronyms and internal jargon.
- Don't paste in marketing copy or company history unless the question asks for it.
Writing the social value section¶
Social value is scored like any other quality answer, and in central government it carries at least 10% of the total under PPN 002. Answer the specific outcome the buyer chose. Commit to measurable outputs such as local jobs, apprenticeships, spend with local SMEs or carbon reductions, with a delivery plan, a named owner and a reporting method. Keep it proportionate: commitments become contract obligations and you will be asked to report against them.
Pricing your bid¶
The reality is that pricing is often done separately from the writing, which is how bids end up promising a dedicated manager the price never paid for. Build the price from the same resourcing plan you describe in the quality answers. Include labour, on-costs, wage rises over the contract term, materials, equipment, travel, management and overheads, plus mobilisation. Fill in the pricing schedule exactly as instructed and don't add qualifications unless invited, as they can make the bid non-compliant.
Review and submit¶
- 1
Pink review
Check outlines and early drafts cover every sub-point before full writing.
- 2
Red review
An independent reviewer scores complete drafts against the buyer's scale.
- 3
Revise
Fix every gap the review found and re-check word counts.
- 4
Compliance check
Tick off every document, signature, format and limit against the matrix.
- 5
Submit early
Upload at least a day before the deadline and save the confirmation.
Common bid writing mistakes¶
| Mistake | Better approach |
|---|---|
| Starting to write before reading the whole pack | Spend day one reading and planning |
| Copying last year's answer | Reuse evidence, rewrite for this buyer and question |
| Describing what you usually do | Commit to what you will do on this contract |
| Missing a sub-point | Use sub-points as headings and tick them off |
| Exceeding word or page limits | Check the rules; excess text may be ignored or the answer rejected |
| Leaving pricing to the end | Price from the same resource plan as the quality answers |
| Uploading on deadline day | Submit early to avoid portal problems |
How long does it take to write a bid?¶
It depends on the number and length of questions. As a rough planning figure, allow a few hours to research, draft and edit a 500-word scored answer properly, plus time for review. A bid with ten quality questions, a pricing schedule and supplier information can easily take a small team one to two weeks. A well-kept bid library of case studies, CVs, policies and standard answers cuts that time with every bid.
Building a bid library so the next bid is faster¶
Every bid you write produces material you can reuse. Capture it in a simple, organised library rather than hunting through old submissions. Keep it current: an out-of-date insurance certificate or a case study quoting last year's figures undermines an otherwise strong answer.
- Case studies with client, value, dates, scope, outcomes and a referee who has agreed to be contacted.
- CVs for key staff, trimmed to relevant experience and qualifications.
- Policies and certificates with expiry dates and a reminder before each lapses.
- Performance data: KPIs achieved, complaints, retention, satisfaction scores.
- Past answers with the scores and feedback they received, so you reuse what scored well.
Should you write it yourself, hire a bid writer or use AI?¶
| Option | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Write in-house | You have time and know the service best | Time pressure squeezing out review |
| Freelance bid writer or consultancy | High-value or complex bids, or you lack capacity | Day rates; they still need your evidence |
| AI bid writing software | Regular bidding where speed and consistency matter | Every draft needs checking and tailoring; buyers may ask about AI use under PPN 017 |
Tools that help¶
Compare bid writing software, bid library software and bid writing services to decide what support fits your volume of bids.
Related guides: Bid writing guide · How to write a winning bid · Bid writing examples · Bid response template · Method statement examples
Sources
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
- Read the full tender pack, check you meet the mandatory requirements, build a compliance matrix, then answer each question's sub-points in order with specific commitments and evidence. Review against the scoring scale, check compliance and submit early.
- Usually supplier information and declarations, evidence that you meet the conditions of participation, scored quality answers, a social value response, a completed pricing schedule and any signed forms the buyer requires.
- Open with a direct answer, then use the question's sub-points as headings. Under each, explain what you will do, who does it, when and how it is measured, and back it with evidence. Close with risk management or added value if space allows.
- Careful reading, clear plain writing, the discipline to answer exactly what is asked, the ability to turn operational detail into evidence, and strong project management to hit internal deadlines.
- Use close to the full word limit if you have relevant content, because a short answer often misses detail evaluators need. Never exceed it; buyers may ignore text beyond the limit or treat the answer as non-compliant.
- Reuse evidence, case studies and processes, but rewrite each answer for the specific question, buyer and specification. Evaluators quickly spot generic answers and score them down.
- Yes, as a drafting aid working from your own evidence, but check every fact, adapt each answer and keep a record. Under PPN 017, public buyers may ask how you used AI.